1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pattern generator which generates a picture pattern, for example, of a character to be output.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, when a written document is to be printed, the following methods may be used, for example: (1) the document is copied, (2) the document is input using a word processor (typewriter) and printed, and (3) the document is printed using selected printing types as is done in a typical printing. Method (1) involves copying the written documents as they are by electrophotography or the like. For method (2), the operator works a word processor which operates on a host computer while watching a written document to thereby print regular characters. Therefore, the operator must perform many steps of procedure, which requires a great deal of labor and is inefficient timewise. It is obvious, of course, that method (3) requires much more labor and time than method (2).
Especially, process (2) will be described hereinafter. Many conventional printing devices which print a character pattern constituted by dots have a character font pattern ROM. The printing device receives a character and sign code output from, for example, a host computer, reads from the ROM a character pattern corresponding to the code and records it.
When printing is to be performed using external characters, signs or marks (hereinafter referred to as the characters and signs) not reserved in the printing device, or the external characters are to be registered in the printing device, the dot image data constituting the character pattern is made using a software tool working on the host computer and output to a printer.
In order to prepare new characters and signs on the host computer using a tool of that type, keys on the keyboard must be operated. This requires much time and is not easy. Operators who know the method of operating the tool are limited in number.